Billiards isn't Gridball
by Pinneedleknife
Summary: Alex didn't know how to play billiards. You didn't know either until you met Abigail, Sebastian and Sam, who invited you one night after you became good friends. Now, you invited Alex to hangout with your friends for a night of billiards, drinking, pizza, and conversations. Will Alex and your friends hit it off? (Female!FarmerxAlex)
1. Don't Question Cue Ball Physics

_Click_ , _clack, click_.

A series of billiard balls rolled across the carrom table in calculated and uncalculated patterns. Sebastian had always been the better player when it comes to billiards, while Sam, who was at least getting better after every game, had a streak of losses that didn't seem to break. The majority of his losses could be attributed to Sam trying to impress his friends with a technique or trick shot he learned from a video online. Or just watched and thought it'd be cool to try out.

"Sam, just shoot your damn shot. You've been stalling your turn for 10 minutes," Sebastian said impatiently.

He was standing by his usual resting spot by the corner. Though it was only you four, he seemed to keep the habit of standing by the farthest part of the room. It could be because it was a good place to lean back.

"Yeah, yeah, just hold on, alright?" Sam said, eyeing different points where he could possibly aim his shot.

You and Abigail reclined on the sofa at the side of the room, watching the two boys play. Abigail had claimed that she's pretty decent at pool, but she prefers to make off-handed comments at the side. She taught you how to play at some point, and you played pretty decent as well. But most nights you commentate with Abigail than play billiards with the boys, or play co-op with her at Journey of the Prairie King.

"So, what time is he coming over?" Abigail asked, turning to you.

Tonight was the night Alex will be going to the Saloon to hang out with you and your friends. The previous week, you confessed your feelings to Alex and eventually started dating each other. Alex didn't hang out with your friends before you came to valley, but he was more than happy to spend time with you and your friends.

"Around 8:30," you answered, peering at the clock, which said 8:31. "In fact, I think he should be here by now."

"Ok, I got it!" Sam declared.

"Well, make it hit something this time," Sebastian smirked.

"Oh, you bet I will," Sam challenged. He finally leaned on the edge of the carrom table, pulled back his pool stick, and shot.

Just then, Alex stepped in the room.

"Hey guys, how's it go-WOAH!"

The cue ball flew straight towards Alex's face.

"Alex!" Sam shouted. He dropped his pool stick and rushed to Alex's side. You, Abigail and Sebastian, also hurried towards him as well.

"Dude, I'm really sorry!" Sam apologized frantically. "I'm sorry I ended up hitting you face!"

You saw that in front of Alex's face was the cue ball, an inch away from impact, being gripped by his strong hand.

"Hey, it's alright, dude," Alex grinned. "Luckily for me, I got fast reflexes."

Everyone sighed in relief.

"You son of a bitch," Sebastian said, impressed. "I nearly thought you were going to get knocked out."

"Yeah," Abigail said, who was also impressed. "I thought your face was gonna get ruined!"

"Dude, that was a wicked catch!" Sam said, who was the most impressed.

"Ahh, it's no big deal," Alex laughed good-naturedly.

You rolled your eyes at him, and smiled. He was still a bit of a show off, but you do admit it was something worth bragging about. It was possibly one of the most close-call catches he ever had in his life.

Sebastian held out a hand to Alex. "Give it here," he said.

"Ah, sure thing," Alex said, returning it. He immediately turned to you, a wide grin appearing on his face. "(Name)!" Alex said, lifting you up in a hug. "How's my girl doing tonight?"

You can't help but blush at his bold greeting. When he eased on his grip, you answered "I'm ok. I've just been waiting for you, and I'm happy you weren't hurt by Sam's attempt at a jump shot."

"That was pretty awesome shot, don't you think?" Sam said, trying to recover how little his esteem he had. "Did you see it frickin' fly through the room?"

"Yeah, I saw it, clearly," Alex smirked, putting you down. He wrapped an arm over your shoulder in an affectionate gesture. "Hell of a first impression though."

"Thanks," Sam grinned. "But seriously, I'm sorry about the cue ball."

"Yeah, just, please don't do that again, Sam," Sebastian said, already leaning against the carrom table to take aim. "You always pull that shit out whenever we play."

"It's no fun if I don't, Seb," Sam retorted. He turns to Abigail. "Right, Abby? (Name)?"

Abigail shrugged. "Well, it's a lot more entertaining that way."

You shrugged too. "I'd make do without you harming my boyfriend though."

Sam sighed. "I'm never gonna live it down, am I?"

"Mmm-hmm. Now shut up, I'm concentrating," Sebastian said.

He pulled his pool stick back and forth across his hand. He became still for a moment, before finally shooting his shot.

One ball got hit. Then two. Then three. And finally the 8-ball, all in quick succession. Each ball dropped in a pocket on different spots in the table. A near-perfect combination shot.

Sebastian raised his pool stick in victory. Sam looked as if he's about to break his pool stick.

"What the heck, man! Did you seriously just do that? Abby, is that legal?" Sam asks.

Abigail nodded.

Sam dropped his head in defeat.

Sebastian clapped a hand on Sam's back. "Looks like you're gonna be buying our drinks tonight," he said.

"Man, I always buy our drinks tonight," Sam puffed.

Alex was visibly amazed. "Woah, Sebastian, how did you just do that?!"

"Honestly, that was just dumb luck." Sebastian shrugged. "I've been playing for a while though, you can pick up some tricks along the way if you play seriously enough."

Alex, nevertheless, gave him a thumbs up.

"So, what are you having, Alex?" Abigail asked nicely. "Beer? Pale ale maybe?"

Alex shook his head. "Nah, I'm good. I don't really drink."

Sebastian raised an eyebrow. "Really, not even with friends?"

"Yeah, I'll just have a soda or something," Alex answered.

"Fine by me," Sam said, pulling out his wallet. "I guess the usual?"

"Uh, I think I'll have a soda too for tonight," You said.

"You sure?" Abigail asked, quirking an eyebrow. "You aren't just embarrassed to drink in front of your boyfriend, are you?" she teased.

"No, really, I'm good. I'm just in the mood for some soda too," you affirmed, raising up open hands in a defensive pose.

Honestly, it was true that you didn't want to drink in front of your boyfriend. You knew of how sensitive the subject of drinking was for Alex. You just didn't want to remind him of it, especially since you were his girlfriend.

Sam shrugged. "That's also fine by me, mercy for my wallet. I'll be back with the drinks then." he said, leaving for the bar.

You felt Alex squeezed your shoulder. You looked up at him and saw he was smiling at you, but you can't quite put what kind of smile it was.

You both bought your own sodas from the vending machine, then sat down on the blue sofa near it. Abigail reclined on the red sofa, lying on it with a leg propped up in the back side. Sebastian pulled out a cigarette from a pack in his pocket. He placed it between his lips, but he didn't light it.

"So, how's Mr. and Mrs. Mullner, Alex?" Abigail asked.

"Oh, they're doing great. Healthy as far as old folks go. Still need help with the heavy stuff and all that," Alex said.

"Oh, does Mrs. Mullner still make her chocolate chip cookies?" Sebastian asked.

Alex chuckled. "Yeah, they're awesome, aren't they? She makes 'em every week. They run out pretty fast by the end of the day, though."

"Yeah! I try to get some before anyone else does, but, when I get there they're all gone!" Abigail said, recalling the attempts when she tried to get a hold of Evelyn's cookies. "I suspected you ate them all, Alex."

"Me? Nooo-well, sometimes," Alex laughed. "But I try to not to eat too much. It's not good for my diet. "

"I don't mind eating them all," you said proudly.

"And who can blame you?" Alex smiled.

"Oh, so it's you this whole time?" Abigail said, giving you an accusing look.

You raised your hands again in defense, and laughed. "Haha, guilty as charged."

"Dude, you owe me like, 3 weeks' worth of cookies!" Abigail said.

She crawled to the in-between of the two sofas to playfully hit you. You continued to laugh, weakly defending yourself.

Sebastian interjected. "Doesn't that mean you're in his house often?" he said, smirking.

Your laughter abruptly stopped, instead replaced with a faint blush. "W-well, yeah-"

"Hey, you were in my house without me knowing?" Alex asked, quirking an inquisitive eyebrow at you.

You looked away from him in embarrassment. "W-well, I did ask where you were when I got there. But Mrs. Mullner offered me some of her cookies, so, I couldn't just reject her!"

"But you kept coming back, you cookie theft!" Abigail exclaimed.

"They were too good, Abby!" you said, your laughter making a return.

"I can't believe you were in my house when I wasn't there though, (Name)," Alex said, though with no malice. "You know I'd be happy to see you anytime!"

Your blush grew warmer from his words. "W-well, we weren't together back then, so, I didn't assume you would be."

"Hmm, how'd you guys start dating then?" Sebastian asked. He had been unconsciously chewing on the end of his cigarette. Probably anxious to go outside, since he'd usually smoke after he won a match.

You and Alex looked at each other, as if your stares made you both exchange answers in your mind.

You started, "Well, we were playing catch one day. Throwing the gridball around at the beach."

"Then, I threw it too far one time, and it fell in the water," Alex continued. "I was about to get it myself, but then I saw (Name) jump in after it."

"Yeah," you unconsciously scratched your head. "I thought I could get it myself, but then I realized the water was too deep-and, that I wasn't that good at swimming."

"Oh my god," Abigail gasped. "Then what happened?"

"I start flailing around in the water, trying to at least grab hold of _something-"_

"Then I thought, 'Oh shit, she's drowning,' so I had to jump in after her-"

"While the gridball floated away with the current-"

"And I had to get her back to shore before _she_ floated away."

Sebastian started snickering at the corner, holding down a laugh emerging from his throat.

"So he swam us back to shore, leaving the gridball in the ocean," you said in a defeated tone.

"She apologized over and over again for not getting the ball and having me rescue her instead," Alex laughed. "Then I told her this one thing-"

"It was really cheesy," you reminded.

"It was true though," Alex chuckled.

"What did you say?" Abigail asked, sitting up from her seat, fascinated in the story.

"I told her, 'There are a lot of gridballs, but there is only one of you.'"

"Aww," Abigail said.

Sebastian continued to stifle his laughter, which came stronger than ever.

"And then I saw her blushing and I thought it was really cute," Alex grinned at the memory.

You covered your face in embarrassment. "I did not see it coming," you added.

"The next day, she came over to my house with a new gridball, and told me she had feelings for me," he said. You felt him pull you closer to his side, his arm still on your shoulder. "I told her I felt the same, and now we're together!"

"Aww, that's so a sweet" Abigail swooned.

Sebastian covered his mouth, his shoulders shaking from keeping in his laughter, and his fingers pinching the cigarette to not let it fall.

"I almost drowned," you lamented. "Almost dying made me realize how precious my life really is. So I had to tell him sooner or later."

"You sure it wasn't because I rescued you?" Alex teased.

You smirked. "Sweetie, I'm sure your shirtless muscled body holding me while glistening in the sunlight had nothing to do with it."

Everyone laughed, with someone laughing unusually louder than the others.

"Hey, what did I miss?" Sam asked, coming back with two trays. The smell of marinara and basil wafted across the room from one of the trays.

Abigail suddenly stood up from the sofa.

"Sam, is that pizza?" she asked eagerly.

You and Alex also stood up from the sofa. Sebastian took out the unlit cigarette from his mouth.

Sam grinned. "Yep, since it's Alex's first night hanging out with us, I figured it'd be great to have some together." He stepped towards Alex. "And also to make up for almost hitting you with a cue ball," he mumbled.

"Thanks man!" Alex said, taking the tray from Sam's hand. "Let's eat!"

Everyone took their own slice from the tray. Sebastian, Abigail and Sam also took their own drinks, which were on the other tray, while you and Alex bought your sodas from the vending machine. You all stood in the room together, eating and drinking like comrades.

"So tell me, what do you guys usually do here?" Alex asked, taking a bite of his pizza.

"Pool," Abigail answered, chewing on her pizza, making "pool" come out as "poo." She swallowed. "Seb and Sam usually play some rounds against each other. (Name) and I just watch and have some drinks afterwards."

"Mmm," Alex hummed, mouthful of pizza.

"You know how to play?" You asked curiously at Alex.

"Nope," Alex said, which came out as "nof." He also swallowed. "I wasn't taught how. Looks pretty intense though!"

"Anything is intense with this bastard," Sebastian said, laying a hand on Sam's shoulder. "Every other night is a new trick, or a ball going through a window-"

"So we keep the windows open now to save us from the damage," Abigail added. "Everything else is defenseless, though."

"No kidding," Alex said, glancing at Sam.

Sam shrugged off Sebastian's hand. "Come on, man, am I ever gonna live it down?" he whined.

"So long as you keep bouncing the balls off the table..." Sebastian pondered for a moment. "Nah, not even if all your shots get clean."

Sam frowned at him. "Alright, alright, enough about the damn cue ball. Alex! What music are you into?

Alex thinks for a moment. "The...type of music with violins and pianos?"

"Classical?" Abigail said, intrigued.

"Yeah, my mom liked to play those kind of songs in our house back then," Alex smiled sadly.

"Oh, I didn't expect you to like that kind of stuff," Sam said. "I'd say it's pretty good I guess."

Alex chuckled, "Well, besides that, I listened to some rock bands too."

Sam grinned. "Awesome! 'Cause we're in a band," he said, pulling Abigail and Sebastian to his sides. "We're Goblin Destroyer!"

You almost choked on your pizza. "Goblin Destroyer?"

"Yeah! Thanks to you, we got inspiration for our sound, and our name!" Sam said.

Alex looked at you for a response. You give him a sheepish smile.

"I suggested they play experimental noise rock," you giggled. "I don't even know what that means."

"What?!" Sam exclaimed, Abigail and Sebastian already stepping away from him. "You didn't even know what genre you were talking about?"

Your giggle turned into laughter. "Haha! I'm sorry, you put me on the spot there at the time. For some weird reason, it was the first thing I thought of."

Sebastian smirked. "Well, we already made a few songs."

"Really?" Alex said, raising an eyebrow in interest.

"Yeah!" Sam said excitedly. He counted off the songs from his head."'The Dark March,' 'Warriors at the Cliffside' 'A hundred thousand arrows and swords slaying our enemies-'"

"The last one is a work in progress," Abigail laughed. "But we're planning on making a demo."

"And eventually-a gig in the city!" Sam proclaimed excitedly.

"Woah," you said, smiling widely. "I'm so happy for you guys!"

Sebastian chuckled, nudging Sam. "Well, let's not get ahead of ourselves. We still need to rehearse a lot more times."

"It sounds pretty badass though," Alex said. "A hundred thousand arrows and swords slaying our enemies?"

"That's not the final title though," Abigail asserted, nudging Sam.

"But it's what it sounds like!" Sam insisted.

"Well, whatever it is, I'll listen to it!" Alex chuckled. "That title got me sold."

"Sure thing, man!" Sam grinned. "You can come by at band practice!"

"Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays at 1 o'clock," you pointed out. "I watch them rehearse whenever I have the time. You should come with me! They sound pretty good."

"Sure, babe!" Alex grinned, wrapping his arm back on your shoulders. "Looks like we'll get to spend more time together then."

You grinned as well, blushing at him. "Yeah, I'll be looking forward to it."

Eventually the pizza ran out and all that was left was the tray greasy from cheese oil, and the semi-crescent crusts left by none-crust eaters. Sebastian and Abigail's mugs were a quarter full left of their drinks, while you and Alex's soda cans were empty and in the trash.

Sam downed what's left his mug of beer, and threw an arm around Alex. "Hey Alex! Since we're pretty much buddies by now, how about a round of billiards with me?"

"Dude, I don't even know how to play," Alex chuckled.

"I'll teach ya!" Sam said. "You and me, come on!"

"Ehh, I don't know..."

"How about we play as teams?" You suggested. "It'll be a lot more fun that way!"

"In that case, I don't think it's fair that I play," Sebastian smirked. "Abby, how 'bout you play? It's been a while since you did."

"Sure!" Abigail smiled. "Now, the real question is, who's in whose team?"

"Hey, how 'bout you and me against these nerds, (Name)?" Alex laughed.

You smiled at his eagerness. You were about to agree when Sebastian interrupted.

"Actually, I got a better idea," he said. "How about the happy couple play on opposing teams?"

Everyone stared at Sebastian. "What do you mean, Seb?" Alex asked, intrigued.

"Well, as you probably saw from when you first got here, we usually put up some wagers when we play. Whoever wins gets to make the loser do _whatever_ they want," Sebastian smirked, dragging out the word "whatever" for emphasis.

You turned to Alex for his reaction. He looked entertained by the idea. Probably already thinking of the possibilities.

"Alright, I'm in," he grinned.

"Sounds good to me!" Sam said.

"Yeah, you're on!" Abigail exclaimed.

You smiled. Looks like it'll be a fun rest of the night. "Ok, let's go for it!"

"Great," Sebastian said, feeling the pack of cigarettes in his pocket. "I'm dying for a smoke right now, I'll be back in a few minutes."

Sebastian left the room, already pulling out a cigarette stick from his pack and a lighter on his way out. Sam went to set up the billiard table, taking out the balls from the pockets, setting up the rack, and giving everyone their pool sticks.

Alex turned to you. "So, what do you want me to do if I lose, (Name)?"

"Hmm…" you pondered for a moment. "I'm not sure yet, I think I'll leave it as a surprise?"

"You sure? 'Cause, I already know what I want you to do," Alex smirked.

You quirked an eyebrow at him. "Oh yeah?"

Alex leaned in to whisper in your ear. You listened for a moment. When he pulled away, you were blushing red.

"Cool with you babe?" Alex chuckled.

You didn't know what to say, but before you even thought of what to say, Sam pulled Alex to the table.

"Dude, let me teach you how to play! So, you put your hand like this..." Sam said, putting his hand on the carrom table and pulling back his pool stick. As Sam spoke on about the rules and techniques, Alex turned to look at you, and winked at your direction.

"Hey, (Name), Alex's wager must be pretty embarrassing," Abigail said, sidling beside you. "You look as red as a ruby."

Your face stayed that red for a while.


	2. It's Hard to Aim at Night

_Click, clack, thump, click_.

It had been 3 hours since You, Abigail, Sam and Alex began playing billiards. It had also been the 3rd round when the clock stroke 11, and both teams were so far, tied. It was rotation pool, with teams of two playing against each other. It was decided that Sam should be on your team and Abigail on Alex's team. The decision was decided on agreeing that Sam being on Alex's team would be a bad idea, and the girls being on each team helped balance out their energy.

Surprisingly, Alex picked it up fairly quickly. He even made the winning shot in the 1st round, which roused Sam to play more seriously. Sam eventually won the 2nd round with you, sticking with safer shots and taking less risky shots when he can. You and Abigail revealed to match in skill, though you played it safer while Abigail added a bit of boldness to her shots. You did attempt to make more advanced shots when you felt confident enough to.

In the 3rd round, it was a mix of calculated play and unreserved brashness influenced by encroaching sleep. At some point, Alex began shooting more ambitiously, trying to recreate Sebastian's combination shot as he saw earlier on, though those attempts fell short of the precision and power of his original shot. Sam returned to attempting his jump shot, which, though would be an appropriate shot to make at the time, would flop and tumble out of trajectory, thus costing their team a turn.

Even you and Abigail began delaying the game due to how poorly both of your shots became. The night made you both wearier. The cue ball would miss its targets, and the power of your shots became weaker. Even Alex and Sam weren't immune to the drowsiness. Only Sebastian seemed to be fine, but it must have been because he napped on the sofa for a short time.

The Saloon was the quietest it had been late at night. Only the sound of the humming vending machine, the occasional beeping of Journey to the Prairie King, the clicks of billiards balls bumping each other, and the idle conversation was left.

Gus knocked on the wood archway. "Everyone, it's nearly closing time. You either finish your game soon or I'll have to lock you all inside," he said almost half-joking.

"Don't worry, Gus! I'll be sending both of these losers home as soon as I win!" Sam declared. He was leaning against the table without his pool stick ready, merely calculating his next shot.

"Well, I was hoping all of you go home, but alright," he yawned. "Do you all need anything else?"

"We're good, sir, our game is almost finished," Sebastian assured. He was standing at his usual corner for a better view.

Gus sighed. "Alright then, I'll be at the bar then. Just tell me when you're all done."

"No problem," Sebastian said.

Gus left for the long empty bar. It was Sam's turn. You and Sam managed to score higher than the other two, but only barely thanks to the uneven numbering of the pool balls.

Sam positioned his hand on the edge of the pool table. The ball-on was behind a higher numbered ball, and the cue ball was in front. You saw what Sam was planning. It was the perfect dilemma for his jump shot. You can tell he was preparing for it, since it took longer than most other shots for him to shoot.

He pulled his pool stick back, and was still for a moment. Then shot. The cue ball hopped over the higher-numbered ball and knocked the ball-on out of its position.

"WOOO!" Sam shouted, raising his fists in the air. "Did you see that?! Did you just see that jump shot?!"

"Hell yeah!" Alex said, giving Sam a high five. "Good job, man, that was awesome!"

"Seriously?!" Abigail facepalmed.

You don't know whether to congratulate Sam or smack him over the head. For one, he did make the shot, and it was the better shot to do considering the position they were in. On the other hand, the shot didn't make into the pocket, thus losing them a turn, as well as giving the other team a shot at pocketing it.

You opted to make a neutral face that expressed both disbelief and exasperation.

Abigail pocketed the ball in her turn, putting them in the lead.

Then it was your turn. Sam was still giddy from making the shot. You focused on knocking the next ball into a higher-numbered ball and sending both into pocket if you can. You took your shot, but both balls missed the pocket, bouncing off the boundary instead.

You sighed. You didn't know what you wanted more. To get to sleep earlier or win the game. You look at the clock and see that it was half an hour away before 12. You need to sleep eventually if you want to water your crops early tomorrow morning. But your drowsiness was getting to you. You can barely make up a tactic that late in the night.

"It's alright, babe," Alex said, smirking.

You were too tired to respond to him. But you weren't too tired to blush when you remember what he whispered to you before the game. Now, you **really** don't know if you should win.

Finally, it was Alex's turn. 3 more pool balls left. The clock was ticking.

His pool stick was already positioned at the cue ball. You looked to make sense of what his tactic might be. His eyes darted from each object ball at the table, seeming to measure the distance from each point.

"Wait…" you murmured. "Are you…?"

You see him look up to you from the edge of the table. He winked at you making you blush harder.

Sebastian was discreetly smoking at the corner of the room, knowing that they were the only ones left in the near-empty Saloon. "The balls are pretty far apart, Alex, think you can make it?"

"Yeah," he said, a confident smile on his face. "I'm pretty sure."

Then he shot. The cue ball hit the ball-on, then the 2nd ball, and the 3rd ball. But the only first two balls got pocketed.

Alex raised a fist in the air. "YES!" he shouted.

Sam dropped to his knees. Abigail squealed. You threw your hands to your face. Sebastian nearly dropped his cigarette from his mouth.

Still being his turn, he easily pocketed the last ball, and cheered.

"I won!" Alex declared excitedly picking you up into his arms.

You were too tired to say anything, and only made a weak "yaaaay" sound. Eventually your body gave in, and you were asleep in his arms.


	3. Sleeping with Each Other

"That was a good game, Alex," Sam admitted.

It was time to leave for home. Sam was carrying Abigail on his back, which was a part of the wager she had for him. Alex was also piggybacking you, but it wasn't a part of his wager. He didn't mind though.

The village was asleep. Every window was dark, as if the buildings' many eyes were closed. What's left awake was the crickets, and whatever small creature rustled through the grass.

"Yeah!" Abigail said. "That was super fun, you should really play with us again sometime."

"I agree," Sebastian added. "Probably one of the most entertaining matches I've seen in a while here."

Alex smiled. "Sure, guys! I'll be there next time for sure!"

"Awesome!" Sam exclaimed. "I would fist bump you right now, but-"

"Yeah, I get ya," Alex laughed. "Next Friday?"

"Next Friday," Sam repeated.

Abigail pointed to the path to her house, kicking her heels into Sam's hips. "Now onward, noble steed!"

Sam sighed, hoisting up Abigail securely on his back. "Alright alright. See ya later, Alex!"

"Bye Alex!" Abigail said, waving at him.

"See ya at the next hangout," Sebastian said, following the two.

The three friends left on their way to Pierre's Store, leaving you and Alex standing by the closed Saloon.

Alex bobbed up. "Hey babe, wake up," he said.

"Hmm?" you hummed, still not opening your eyes. "Izittimetowattathecrapsyet?"

Alex laughed. "No, I won! And I'm taking you home with me," he said, walking to his house.

"Oh," you yawned. "You won? That's greaaaat."

"Yeah, you remember the wager, right?" he asked. He pulled out the keys from his pocket, and unlocked the door.

"Oh yeah," you said. "My wager, or yours?"

"Mine! And it's that-" he kicked it open. "You're sleeping with me tonight!"

"Ohhhh, ok," you said.

You suddenly opened your eyes.

"What?! Where am I?" you asked frantically.

You see the colors of green and brown, and the diagonal patterns of gridballs on the walls.

"My room!" Alex answered eagerly.

He carefully put you down to stand on his floor. Before you could react, you saw him taking off his jacket.

"Wa-wait! Wait!" you stammered.

Alex was already gripping the end of his shirt. "Yeah, babe?" he said, stopping halfway.

You saw his bare abs already being revealed by his half-lifted shirt. You blushed furiously and looked away.

"I-I think I need to prepare my heart!" you exclaimed, clutching your chest.

Alex laughed. "You are so cute, (Name)," he said, completely pulling off his shirt. "Now, come here!"

You squealed as he lifted you into his arms, and approached his bed. "W-wait!" you stammered.

But he already laid you on his mattress. He joined you, wrapping his arm around your waist and pulling you close to him. Then you waited for him to make a move. Any move. But moments passed, and you noticed him being quiet for a while.

"A-Alex?" you said.

"Hmm?" he hummed.

You saw that his eyes were falling closed.

"H-hey! Wait a minute!" you exclaimed.

You sat up from the bed, forcefully making him open his eyes.

"B-by sleeping with you, d-did you mean-"

"Sleeping with me, in bed," he said, smirking. "What did you think I meant?"

You blinked at him, then stared for a few moments. Then, you laid back down, flipped on your side, and turned your back to him.

"Goodnight," you mumbled.

"Hey, don't be like that, babe," he laughed, re-wrapping his arm back on your waist. "It's only gonna be for a week."

You didn't reply.

"Oh, so you're gonna be like that?" Alex said slyly

You felt has arm move. A hand was placed to the arch of your waist, and the other moved to your belly. Next thing you knew, you were bursting out laughing. Alex tickled you mercilessly, creeping his fingers up and down your waist and belly. You flipped around, uselessly trying to make him stop

"AHAHAHAHA! STOP! STOP PLEA-HAHA!" you squealed.

Alex then stopped, returning to tightly hugging your waist against him. "There's my giggly girl," he chuckled.

You turned to him and pouted. "Please don't do that again."

"No promises," he grinned.

You whined, then smiled at him. He was still sweet in his own overconfident way, and you can't help but be charmed.

"So, how was the night for you?" Alex asked genuinely.

"The night? Well, it's better than I expected I guess," you answered.

"Oh? How did you think it will go?"

You shrugged. "I don't know, well, I honestly thought you guys might not have much in common with each other, so, I thought it might turn, awkward?"

"Awkward, huh?" he said. "Didn't think I'd get along much with them?"

"Yeah," you said, looking away out of embarrassment.

"Well, I think your friends are great," Alex smiled. "Sam's a great guy, I bet a game of catch with him would be pretty fun. Abigail's a good teammate too, she's nice, and she didn't get mad at me when I screw up some shots. And I think Sebastian's a pretty smart guy, he came up with the idea that got you in my bed afterall."

You tried to ignore the last part of what he said. "Oh, then that's great!" you said, blushing. "I think they really liked you too. You guys looked like you were really having fun."

"And I wouldn't have been there without you, (Name)," Alex added. He looked at you with a face of gratitude.

You smiled widely at him. "Yeah, I'm so glad we got to hangout all together."

"Me too," Alex said.

You both stayed quiet for a few minutes. You nuzzled into the crook of his neck, the bare skin of his chest and his arms warming you. His chin laid on your head, grazing your hair and keeping you inside his arms. You felt his breath on your hair, and the steady beat of his heart. He felt your hand softly grip his arm, unconsciously sliding up and down to feel the bulges of his muscles.

Your eyes were about to fall shut, until Alex opened his mouth to talk.

"Hey, can you I ask you something, (Name)?"

You pulled away a bit to look at his face. His expression didn't look much of concern in particular, though it did have a hint of solemnity.

"Yes, Alex?" you said in a weary voice.

"Why...why did you decide not to drink earlier?"

Your eyes widened, the question once again shaking off the sleepiness from them. You tried to recall that time earlier, as if ask the past you what she was thinking at the time.

You were quiet for a few moments, before you sighed. "Honestly, I did not want to make you uncomfortable," you admitted. "I know it doesn't make sense, in a way, but, I thought if I did, I might remind you of-"

"Of my dad?" Alex said.

You nodded, biting your lip. "I was afraid, of what you'd think of me. Because, I don't want that if you saw me doing that, you'd think of him. I don't want that at all."

Alex was quiet for a few moment too. His silence made you uncomfortable. But you still felt the same pace of his breath and his heartbeat on you. You felt his hand hold your cheek. He tilted your head to face him, and you see an unwavering look in his eyes.

"You're, nothing like my dad, you know," he said. "Like, really, you're completely different."

"I know-"

"My dad was an asshole. He couldn't keep a job, or even stay at home long enough to be a good dad," he said, a strain in his throat forming. "He ruined things for me and my mom. He did things I don't think I can forgive, or forget."

The look in his then eyes softened. "But you-"

He kisses your forehead.

"You're sweet."

He kissed your left cheek.

"You're funny."

He kissed your right cheek.

"You're kind."

He kissed your lips.

"And so much more," he said.

He continued to kiss you, making you forgot your worry and your doubts. His thumb rubbed the softness of your cheek, easing you further into it. When you both pulled away, your lips still lingered on each other.

"You make me feel things I never felt before," he whispered. "Sometimes I don't have the words to describe them, but, being with you...makes me feel like I'm on top of the world."

You felt the trembling in your stomach wash over your body, a sensation that was both warm and chilling. The words you wanted to say were caught in your throat, even if you knew exactly what they were. The look in his eyes only further kept you from letting your voice out, like a tight hug on a last goodbye.

"(Name)," he breathed. "I love you."

His arms returned to your waist, his hold on you became closer, tighter, and warmer than all the other ways he held you.

"You don't need to hide yourself from me," he said. "I want to know everything about you."

You felt tears well up in your eyes. You sniffed into his chest, making him suddenly pull away.

"Oh shit, I didn't mean to make you cry!" He said frantically. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean-"

Your sniffles turned into laughter. "No, silly," you said, wiping the tears away. "I'm just-I'm just, happy."

Alex stared at you for a moment before understanding what you meant. He breathed a sigh of relief, re-wrapping his arms around you.

"Thank goodness," he said.

You laughed into his chest, sniffling a bit more. You felt Alex caress your cheek to wipe the remaining tears away.

"I love you too, Alex," you said. You reached your hand to his cheek, gently tilting his head to kiss him. "I'm sorry that I hid that part of myself from you."

"It's ok, baby," he said, rubbing your back, soothing you. "Don't be afraid to be yourself around me, ok?"

"Ok," you said, a small smile forming on your face.

He smiled back, a love in his eyes never leaving.

The clock slowly ticked to 12. You felt both of your eyes falling gently closed. You fell asleep in his arms again, him holding you closer than ever.


End file.
